January 8, 2013

The First Duck Egg ... Becomes Pasta

Isn't it beautiful? We got the first duck egg of the season yesterday. It's very very small and incredibly beautiful. So of course I ran right in and used it to make pasta.

Duck eggs are really extraordinary and for whatever reason, spring duck eggs are out of this world. Duck eggs have larger yolks than hen's eggs and make amazing baked goods, custards, and pasta.

It's a cinch to make your own pasta. Just grab your copy of Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking and get to work. She recommends 2 large egg for every cup of flour. I used 2 cups of flour, my first duck egg and 4 smallish chicken eggs.

Just make a well in a mound of flour, pour the lightly beaten eggs into it, and gradually mix in the flour. When the dough comes together just knead it until its smooth and silky.

Honestly making your own pasta is worth the little bit of time it takes. It doesn't even take that long - you just need to give the pasta time to rest between kneading and rolling it out. It boils in a few seconds - unlike dried pasta that takes 8 - 10 minutes, depending.

I made a bacon-y lasagna from a meat sauce I put together a couple days ago... and I used a bechamel sauce that was a basis of a mac and cheese from Sunday. Making bits and pieces of a meal over the course of a couple days is a great way to make a complicated meal easy. Instead of doing all the work in one day I just put together these different pieces. Easy peasy!

Today I'll probably get another duck egg. I can't wait. I have a chocolate custard that just screams for duck eggs.